


The Perfect Smile

by MadhouseVagabond



Series: Jeremwood Oneshots [3]
Category: Achievement Hunter, Roosterteeth - Fandom
Genre: Cute, Dentist, Gen, Hospital, M/M, Office, Smile, Sweet, Walks In The Park, Zipline, jeremwood, puns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 17:20:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9247778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadhouseVagabond/pseuds/MadhouseVagabond
Summary: Jeremy Dooley hates going to the dentist but catches the eye of one doctor in particular.





	

Part 1

 

Jeremy sat in the waiting room chair sulking, arms crossed and a scowl he hoped could kill on his face. He didn't want to be here, in fact he hated this place with the passion of a thousand suns. He wished the entire building would burn to the ground so he'd never have to come here again.

He hated going to the dentist. It was a colossal waste of his time and money. It wasn't that he didn't take care of his teeth, far from it! He had amazingly perfect teeth. It was just one of those dumb things people had to do. He hated it so much. The drive out here, the annoyingly stuck up lady at the front desk, the weird chemical smell that filled the entire place, the loud children playing with the toys provided or pestering their parents, the wait in the uncomfortable chairs, all of it. Jeremy was sick of this place, he'd been coming here for the last five appointments. Not because he wanted to, but because this joint was the only place he could afford.

"Jeremy?" came a voice. Jeremy sighed in surrender and stood to follow the young woman down the hall to the room he'd be in for the next 30 minutes to an hour, making the typical small talk they always did whenever they received someone. How was your day going? You enjoying the weather? Got any plans for this weekend? They were all so annoyingly cheerful when they talked to him, like way over the top. To Jeremy, all the dentists here were nothing but a bunch of fake, plastic meat bags.

"If you'll have a seat here please," the woman said and pointed to the room Jeremy was going to be in. He grunted and sat down in the chair and prepared for an exasperating afternoon. An afternoon he could've spent playing Skyrim, Minecraft, Dead by Daylight, and the other games he enjoyed. Hell, he'd even play the games he hated over this. The woman spoke to him asking him random chatty questions which he begrudgingly answered before she took his X-rays. After taking the nasty hard plastic piece or whatever the fuck it was made of out of his mouth the woman smiled and handed him a pair of sunglasses and clipped that stupid blue bib thing around his neck before lowering the back of the chair.

Jeremy hated people shoving their gross little sausage fingers into his mouth and messing around in there. It was one of his pet peeves. Laying there in the reclined chair Jeremy listened to the chatter of the woman as she talked about her day and her family which Jeremy gave zero fucks about. At one point after she'd raised his seat back up to a sitting position she asked him about his tattoo and he talked a bit about it while she scribbled notes on a paper attached to an official looking clipboard.

 _Maybe this lady isn't so bad._ he thought as he explained about his tattoo. That is, until he saw the look of distain on her face and she said that she disapproved of tattoos. Jeremy rolled his eyes.

 _Well, that's a fucking SHOCKER._ he thought to himself and almost groaned. The woman kept doodling on her clipboard for a few minutes writing down observations about Jeremy's teeth before she tired to him with the most fake strained smiled he'd ever seen.

"Doctor Burns isn't in today so you'll have a new Doctor. Doctor Haywood will be here in a few minutes to look over your teeth. Is that alright?" she asked trying to sound genuinely interested in Jeremy's opinion.

 _If you wanted my input on if I want this new doctor then why did you already schedule him to visit me?_ Jeremy scoffed in his head.

"Sure," he said instead. He really didn't want to be here any longer than he had to be so he decided going with the flow would be his best option. The lady fake smiled again and went to fetch this new Doctor. Jeremy sat there and contemplated the ramifications of stealing some of the pointy tools they used and stabbing them to death. He shook his head.

 _Stop being a child Dooley, just get this appointment over with so you can get back to finishing that game as fast as possible._ he thought. He heard voices and footsteps approaching and prepared himself for the last leg of the journey.

"Good afternoon Mr. Dooley, how's everything going?"

Jeremy turned at the sound of an amazingly deep voice and nearly gasped when saw the sexiest looking man he'd ever seen in his life taking a seat beside him. He had short sandy blonde hair, a nicely trimmed beard and goatee which looked remarkably like a lumberjack's, a jawline that could cut diamonds, a smile that not only was genuine and cheerful but also heart melting, his Doctor's coat or jacket hugging his broad shoulders. But the thing that caught Jeremy's attention the most was the man's stunningly blue eyes! They were fucking gorgeous!

"I..I..I'm doing alright and you?" he stammered. Doctor Haywood smiled wider, his lips peeling back to reveal pearly whites and Jeremy felt himself blush as he offered his hand and Jeremy shook it happily.

 _Damn he's got nice big strong hands! Fuck me!_ Jeremy thought as he looked down at the large hand holding his before they broke the shake.

"I'm Doctor Haywood and I'll be filling in for Doctor Burns today. My name is James but everyone calls me by my middle name Ryan so if you'd like to use that instead of a boring old title feel free," Ryan said and smiled at Jeremy who nodded, suddenly feeling very hot and his mouth drying out.

"Nice to meet you Ryan. You can call me Jeremy though, Mr Dooley is my father," Jeremy said and smiled back when Ryan nodded, his eyes brightening.

Ryan continued to smile as he looked over the notes the woman nurse had scribbled out. He raised an eyebrow and looked up at Jeremy with widening eyes.

"What's wrong?" Jeremy asked suddenly worried. Ryan shook his head and chuckled.

"Nothing wrong, but you've got the cleanest teeth I've ever seen in my life! They're perfect!" Ryan exclaimed looking surprised and excited all at once. Jeremy couldn't help the giggle that escaped his lips, Ryan was adorable when he was excited. Ryan smiled at Jeremy and continued to read the notes before turning back to his patient.

"Well, it looks like there isn't anything wrong with your teeth but if you don't mind I'd like to double check just to be sure you don't have any cavities. If you're okay with me sticking my giant sausage fingers in that amazing mouth of yours?" Ryan asked and then paused and face-palmed.

"That came out wrong," he said and smiled awkwardly at Jeremy who giggled again.

"That's okay, I don't mind. Best damn thing that's happened today!" Jeremy said which made Ryan smile again. He lowered the chair back into the reclined position and lowered that arm lamp that dentists have over Jeremy's head and placed one of those blue face masks over his mouth and nose. Jeremy opened his mouth for Ryan and the whole time the man examined his teeth he gazed at those beautiful blue eyes. He took note at how the bands of the mask pressed into Ryan's cheeks, noticed how gentle the man was with Jeremy's teeth when he used the tools to examine them, the concentration in the man's eyes.

 _Damn! He's not a bad looking guy. He's probably married though._ Jeremy thought as he gazed into Ryan's eyes, thanking God that the sunglasses he'd been given didn't reveal his eyes. Jeremy was beginning to feel slightly more comfortable with fingers in his mouth when he heard it.

Humming.

Ryan's deep sexy voice was gently humming a tune that Jeremy never thought he'd hear an adult hum in his life.

 _He's fucking humming_ Barbie Girl _!_ he thought and almost smiled before he remembered that Ryan's fingers were still in his mouth with sharp tools. As soon as Ryan removed his hands and rinsed out Jeremy's mouth Jeremy smiled up at him.

"Were you humming Barbie Girl?" he asked with humor in his eyes. Ryan blushed and looked away.

"Yeah. It was on the radio this morning and got stuck in my head. Can I trust you with a secret?" Ryan asked looking embarrassed. Jeremy nodded and smiled.

"It's sort of my favorite song," Ryan confessed and squeezed his eyes shut and scrunched up his face in embarrassment. Jeremy stared at him before laughing, holding his sides and almost falling out of the chair. Ryan chuckled and started growing red which Jeremy found adorable.

"Your secret's safe with me big guy," Jeremy said wiping tears from his eyes. Ryan sighed in relief.

"Oh good! I was afraid I was going to have to kill you now that you've learned my darkest secret," he said. Jeremy chuckled and winked at Ryan, pretending to zip his lips and lock them which caused Ryan to laugh, a laugh that melted Jeremy's heart and warmed every fiber of his being.

"Well I guess that does it, no cavities surprise surprise. Your nurse will be with you here in a second to set up your next appointment. I hope to see you again sometime Jeremy, you've been my best patient," Ryan said with a smile, Jeremy noticing his cheeks were growing pink.

"I hope so too. This was actually the best appointment I've ever had. You're a great Doctor. Can I trust you with a secret this time?" Jeremy asked. Ryan nodded after looking over his left and right shoulders.

"I normally hate these appointments, I've never liked coming to this place. But today was great and I actually enjoyed myself thanks to you," he said in a lower tone, playing along with Ryan. Ryan blushed again and nodded.

"Not many people enjoy coming to the dentist so I completely understand you. I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself this afternoon," he smiled and offered his hand again and Jeremy shook it. The two said goodbye and then Ryan rushed off to his next appointment, offering a smile to Jeremy as he left. Jeremy sat in his chair and smiled the biggest smile he'd ever smiled. His nurse returned and set up his next appointment which was six months away and handed him his bad of toothpaste, floss, new toothbrush, and his appointment card. Jeremy smiled at her and thanked her before walking out to the front. He stopped at the front desk and made up his mind. He turned to the woman at the desk and smiled.

"Can I help you sir?" she asked in a bored tone.

"Hello, yes I was wondering, is there a way I can change who my doctor is here?" he asked. The woman looked surprised but nodded and pulled out some paperwork when he gave his information.

"Okay, and who would you like to be your new doctor here sir? We have..." the woman began to say but Jeremy quickly interrupted her, already knowing the answer.

"I'd like to change to Doctor Haywood if that's alright?" he asked. The woman smiled and nodded before typing some things into her computer and then asking Jeremy to sign a few things which he gladly did. Jeremy walked out of the building smiling like he'd never smiled before.

 

  
Part 2

 

Ryan Haywood sat in the small break room at the office and drank his Diet Coke as he ate his lunch. He'd had a busy afternoon and still had plenty of appointments left, but he didn't mind. He loved this job, even with the occasional snooty child or bitchy adult that tried to make his life hell. He smiled as he thought about one patient in particular, the shorter man with the green dyed hair who'd immediately caught Ryan's eye.

"Care to let me in on your little secret there buddy?" came a voice. Ryan turned to see that his friend Meg Turney, one of the nurses here at the office, had sat down and was watching him.

"Secret?" he asked, pretending to be surprised. Meg looked at him with her "you're not fooling anyone" face and he chuckled.

"Just a patient I had today," he said and smiled, again thinking about Jeremy and how cute he'd looked with those sunglasses on, and his perfect perfect teeth.

"Ohhh, look at you Haywood! It's about time you met someone!" Meg teased. Ryan looked at her suspiciously.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked. Meg rolled her eyes.

"Ryan you never go out! Go meet some people, make more friends, get laid!" she urged. Ryan smiled.

"Who says I haven't already been 'laid'?" he asked doing a horrible imitation of Meg's voice.

"Please Ryan, it's so obvious you haven't been laid in ages. Seriously though, get out more. Meet someone. You deserve to be happy," she said and pat his hands from across the table.

"I am happy Meg. I'm in a job that I love and I get to help people. What more could I want?" he asked.

"Sex!" Meg exclaimed. Ryan laughed and started feeling hot, thinking of Jeremy again.

"I'll look into it. How're you and Gavin doing?" he asked changing the subject. He and Meg talked all through lunch until he threw away his trash and brushed his teeth before heading back to front desk to check his next few appointments.

"Hey Ryan, a patient recently switched his doctor out for you. He just had an appointment today so here's when he is scheduled for next," Ashley Jenkins said and handed him a clipboard. Ryan looked over it and froze when he saw the name.

Jeremy Dooley.

Ryan grinned widely and nodded.

"Thanks Ashley I'll mark it on the calendar," he said and looked up to see the young woman smiling at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," she said and turned away back to her job at the front desk. Ryan shook his head but continued to smile the rest of the day.

When Jeremy walked into the building six months later Ryan was almost ecstatic. He was up front checking appointments when he heard a familiar voice.

"I have a 9 am appointment scheduled for a Jeremy Dooley," Jeremy said. Ryan turned and saw him and watched as Jeremy's eyes met his, filling with joy and a smile immediately springing onto his face. Ryan waved and Jeremy returned the wave as Ashley checked him in and told him to wait for his name. Jeremy nodded still looking at Ryan and then turned to go sit down in one of their ridiculously uncomfortable chairs. Ryan was still pushing to get better seating in this place for their patients but so far his efforts had been ignored.

He turned and almost crashed into Meg who was standing there arms crossed with a knowing smile on her face.

"Meg what the hell?" Ryan asked quietly enough so as not to be heard by the patients in the waiting room.

"Was that your patient from a few months ago that has been keeping that big grin on your face this whole time?" Meg asked nodding at Jeremy. Ryan blushed and Meg giggled and punched him in the shoulder.

"Ry! I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed.

"We're not dating Meg I only met him once. I bet he's already got a girlfriend or boyfriend anyway," Ryan said.

 _Who wouldn't want to date that handsome guy? I mean, look at him!_ he thought. Meg just smirked at him and then left to take care of some patients. Ryan shook his head and walked to his first appointment, counting down the minutes until he would be with Jeremy again. Finally the time came and he walked into the room and smiled.

"Hello Jeremy how've you been?" he asked. Jeremy smiled back at him and Ryan found himself wishing he could kiss the man.

"Been alright. Just hanging out playing games and working," Jeremy said. Ryan perked up at that.

"Games huh? Like what, monopoly? Cause if that's the case I may have to end this relationship," he joked and Jeremy laughed.

 _Damn he's got a nice laugh!_ Ryan thought.

"No more along the lines of Skyrim and Halo and the like. I play video games," Jeremy admitted.

"Sounds like a fun time! I've been known to throw down in the virtual world every now and then," Ryan said and Jeremy laughed again.

"Throw down? Ryan you're such a dork," Jeremy chuckled.

"I prefer the phrase, 'nerd'," Ryan joked and the two shared a laugh. Ryan examined Jeremy's teeth again and notice a bit of buildup around some of the teeth so he told Jeremy and then cleaned his teeth again, taking his time. While he looked over the notes his nurse had left for him Jeremy asked him a question.

"So, what secret do you have for me today?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Ryan pondered that for a minute, tapping his finger against his chin and lower lip.

"Well, if you promise not to tell anyone," he said snapping his fingers and looking intently at Jeremy who nodded and smiled.

"Okay, here it is. I have an unhealthy addiction to Diet Coke," Ryan confessed.

"Don't you guys swear that soda is bad for our teeth?" Jeremy asked trying not to giggle. Ryan nodded.

"That's why you can't tell anyone. Don't want my reputation ruined now do you?" Ryan feigned mock fear.

"Definitely not! Wouldn't want to jeopardize your job! You're secret's safe with me," Jeremy played along and the two winked at each other. The rest of the appointment was spent making small idle talk about their jobs and their days since last seeing each other. Ryan found out that Jeremy was a professionally gamer and streamed on a regular basis as well as ran his own YouTube channel. Ryan was greatly impressed as he'd always been interested in that career path but instead chose to go into dentistry as his father had. He told Jeremy about his cat at home he'd named Edgar.

"Edgar? What kind of name for a cat is that?" asked Jeremy laughing.

"I'm unconventional," Ryan shrugged and smiled back. The two never talked about whether or not they were dating or in relationships, both afraid of the answer; instead just enjoying the small amount of time they had together. Sadly the appointment had to come to an end and the two shook hands again as they were about to part ways.

"Hey Jeremy?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah Ryan?"

"If you start experiencing any sort of pain or discomfort in your teeth don't hesitate to give me a call, I'll gladly set up an appointment to check you out," Ryan said then face-palmed again as Jeremy chuckled and raised an eyebrow.

"That came out wrong again," he said awkwardly as he scribbled his number on a card and handed it to Jeremy with a sheepish smile. As Jeremy reached for the card their fingers brushed and the two stared into each other's eyes. Finally Ryan broke his gaze and let Jeremy take the card.

"I..uh..I should probably head to my other appointments. It was nice seeing you again Jeremy," he stammered, voice noticeably weak and his face growing red. Jeremy smiled and nodded before heading out the door. Ryan dashed to the bathroom and washed his face to cool off and stared at himself in the mirror.

"Okay Haywood, the ball is now in his court," he told himself as he dried his face and continued his work day, all the while thoughts of Jeremy flooding his mind.

Jeremy had rushed home to his apartment and immediately dashed to his bathroom for some alone time. Panting and gasping for breath he clean himself up and then plopped onto the couch in his living room. He'd quickly programmed Ryan's number into his phone and saved the contact. Now he just needed to figure out if Ryan was single and if the man was interested in him. As time wore on Jeremy made as many appointments with Ryan as possible, craving time with the older man. Six month waits weren't good enough he needed to see Ryan daily! Somehow he managed to make regular appointments for every other week, not the most traditional amount of appointments but still he needed this time. Ryan had booted up his computer as soon as he'd gotten home after that second appointment and had found Jeremy's YouTube channel and subbed to it, then found him on twitch and followed him there. Since that day he'd watched every one of Jeremy's streams and felt he was getting to know the man more while he was in his element. He was glad Jeremy was around the office more but wondered if it was getting too out of hand. The man had perfect teeth and was just wasting his money coming to get cleanings that he didn't need. So he made up his mind.

He would finally ask Jeremy out.

 

 

Part 3

 

Jeremy walked into the dentist office and smiled at the receptionist.

"Hey Ashley how've you been?" he asked. He'd been here so many times he might as well have lived here.

"Pretty good, just bought a PS4 the other day so now I can get cracking at The Last of Us and Until Dawn," she said and smiled as she checked Jeremy in.

"Awesome! If you want I made a guide for the games I can send you a link to," he offered. Ashley's face lit up.

"Could you? Wait, I thought you only played Xbox games?" she asked.

"I've played both. My subs like a bit of variety every now and then," he said and took his seat. After a few minutes his nurse whom he'd learned was named Mica Burton called his name. Following Mica down the hall he caught her looking at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" he asked.

"You're here an awful lot," she said observantly. Jeremy narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything. He sat in his chair impatiently counting the minutes until Ryan would show up. Finally Ryan came around the corner and smiled.

"Well if it isn't my favorite patient," he exclaimed and Jeremy blushed.

"Hey Ryan how's it going?" he asked, heart beating faster at the sight of the man.

"Same ol same ol. Nothing really new. Listen Jeremy, there's something I want to ask you," Ryan said and sat down beside him. Jeremy's heart was racing and he found it hard to breath.

 _Is he asking me out?_ he thought in a panic.

"Sure thing Ryan," he said weakly.

"Why do you make so many appointments here when we both know you don't need them?" Ryan asked gently. Jeremy couldn't speak. He didn't know what to say.

"I..I..I'm not sure," he finally squeaked out, lying of course.

 _Idiot! Just ask him!_ he screamed in his head.

"Well I don't think it's good for you to come in so much. This place isn't cheap and I don't want you going to the poorhouse because of it. I'd like it if you went back to your normal appointment time. Please? For me?" Ryan asked, and Jeremy saw he was legitimately concerned for him which made him feel much better.

"Sure thing Rye Bread," he said using the pet name he'd started calling Ryan a couple weeks ago. Ryan giggled and smiled at his friend.

 _Ask him! Go on don't be scared you got this. Just keep it simple._ he thought as he looked at Jeremy.

"There's..there's something else I'd like to ask you," Ryan stammered but couldn't find a way to ask the question beating at his mind. Jeremy looked at him and waited.

"I was wondering if you'd like to hang out someday. You know, outside of the office? We could maybe grab some lunch or something?" he asked finally. He bit his bottom lip hoping against hope that Jeremy would say yes and that he wouldn't be crushed. Jeremy's eyes lit up and he smiled.

"That would work. I'd be fine with it!" he said eagerly. Maybe a little too eagerly. Ryan smiled too and pat the man's shoulder.

"Great! You still have my number right?" he asked. Jeremy nodded and gave his number to Ryan, trying not to giggle as Ryan struggled slightly with his phone as he programmed Jeremy's number in, talking to it like a child that just got caught misbehaving and occasionally muttering, "get it together Haywood!".

"I'll call you Friday afternoon, that's when I'm off for the weekend. Does that day work for you?" he asked. Jeremy immediately nodded and agreed.

"Well, since you really don't need any work done I guess we should call it a day huh?" Ryan asked looking hesitant like he didn't want Jeremy to leave. Jeremy nodded.

"Yeah, wouldn't want you getting in trouble. Bye Ry, see you on Friday?" Jeremy said.

"Friday," Ryan agreed and gave two thumbs up which made Jeremy laugh.

"I'll schedule your next appointment for the normal time, should be a few months away so maybe you'll have a chance to dirty up your teeth," Ryan joked. The two laughed and Jeremy shook Ryan's hand, the hold lasting a little longer than usual before he departed. As soon as Jeremy got home he fist pumped the air and shouted for joy.

Ryan Haywood had fucking asked him out!

Friday came and Jeremy couldn't wait for noon to roll around. He paced his apartment trying to figure out what to wear. He settled eventually on a pair of nice jeans and a dark green polo shirt. He made sure he brushed and flossed his teeth twice, three times. He dabbed on cologne and smiled down at his two cats Booker and Scooter.

"Well boys, how does daddy look?" he asked and spun around, arms held out to his sides. His cats looked up at him with large observant eyes and Booker mewed.

"That's what I thought. I need to brush my hair you're right!" Jeremy smiled and rushed to the bathroom to fix his hair. As he walked back into his living room his cell phone beeped. Whipping it out Jeremy looked at the message there.

**Ryan: You ready?**

Jeremy smiled and typed out his response.

**Jeremy: Sure thing buddy! Where should I meet you?**

**Ryan: I was thinking I could pick you up at your place and we could figure out where to go from there.**

Jeremy blushed and his smiled widened.

**Jeremy: Sounds good to me. I'm at 1551 Pubert Drive.**

**Ryan: Pubert? Really?**

**Jeremy: Yeah, I still laugh every time I hear it.**

**Ryan: You should hear the giggles escaping my lips right now!**

**Jeremy: Lol just get here quick you dork I miss you!**

**Ryan: Rodger that! See you in a few.**

Jeremy smiled and felt a laugh bubbling up within him. He paced around some more then stood in front of a mirror fidgeting with his shirt until his buzzer went off. Rushing to the buzzer he pressed the button.

"Hello?" he asked hopeful.

"Hey so I neglected to ask which apartment is yours," came Ryan's deep sexy voice.

"This wouldn't be a certain Dentist would it?" Jeremy teased enjoying this.

"Those words wouldn't belong to a perfect mouth would they?" Ryan retaliated, the smile he wore evident in his voice. Jeremy laughed.

"Come on in, I'm apartment 15 up the stairs and to the left. See you soon big guy," he said and buzzed Ryan in. A few seconds later he heard a knock at his door and he took a deep breath.

He was about to go on an unofficial date with the hottest guy he knew! Opening the door he couldn't help but gawk at the sight that met his eyes. Ryan stood there in fucking dad jeans, a nice black tshirt that was very form fitting, showing off the older man's ridiculously amazing arms and his chest rather nicely. He had a leather jacket slung over his shoulder and Jeremy noticed he'd trimmed his hair since the last time they'd seen each other.

"Whoa! Nice getup!" he couldn't help exclaiming. Ryan blushed slightly and smiled.

"You don't look half bad yourself," he said as Jeremy invited him in for a minute. Ryan gazed around the apartment.

"I like your place. It's very inviting and friendly," he observed. It was Jeremy's turn to blush and he thanked Ryan, betting the older man lived in a giant mansion that had butlers and maids to maintain the joint.

"Hello there! And what's your name?" Ryan asked in a higher voice as he squatted down to pet Booker. Jeremy bit his lip to keep himself from fainting as Ryan's shirt lifted slightly revealing his lower back and boxers, his jeans stretched tight against his ass.

"This ones Booker, and Scooter is around here somewhere," he said instead, hoping Ryan hadn't noticed him eyeing him up. Ryan smiled and pet Booker again before standing.

"So where should we go?" he asked.

"Umm, well there's a really nice pizza joint down the road a few blocks, there's a burger café a couple miles south, and a few coffee shops and nicer restaurants around the area. I'm not picky," Jeremy replied, listing off all the places he knew of.

"A burger sounds good," Ryan said and Jeremy nodded leading Ryan out the front door before saying goodbye to his cats, giving them a wink before he locked the door. As they walked Ryan caught Jeremy looking at him and shaking his head smiling.

"What's wrong? Do I have a hole in my pants?" he asked horrified and immediately placed his hands over his ass. Jeremy laughed and shook his head.

"No no, nothing like that! I'm just still getting used to seeing you in normal everyday clothes. I mean, fucking dad jeans? C'mon!" Jeremy giggled. Ryan looked confused and glanced down at his jeans.

"Dad jeans? What makes them dad jeans?" he asked raising an eyebrow. Jeremy smiled and shook his head, patting Ryan on the back.

"They just are man," was all he could say and continued laughing. Ryan blushed again and shrugged.

"I don't get it, they look like normal jeans to me," he said as the two got in his car and drove to the burger place Jeremy directed him to. It was a nice, quaint little place, like you'd see in an old black and white film. Their meal was great, Ryan exclaiming it was the best burger he'd had in ages, full of laughter and talk, the two getting to know each other more. The rest of the evening was uneventful, the two spending most of it just talking. After a wonderful time Ryan dropped Jeremy off at his apartment, the two standing there awkwardly, Jeremy in the doorway and Ryan in the hall.

"So..um, I had fun tonight," Ryan said shifting from one foot to the other. Jeremy smiled and nodded.

"So did I. We should hang out more often," he said.

"I'm free on Sunday! If you wanna, go for a walk or something," Ryan said quickly. Jeremy smiled and nodded.

"I'd like that!" he said. Ryan smiled in relief. They stood for a moment longer before Ryan sighed.

"We're super awkward," he smiled, causing Jeremy to laugh.

"Agreed. Well, I guess I'll see you Sunday?" he asked. Ryan nodded.

"Sunday," he said.

"Goodnight Rye Bread, thanks for the fantastic evening," Jeremy said, blushing slightly. Ryan reached out and placed a hand on Jeremy's shoulder.

"Thank you Jeremy. It's been awhile since I've gone out and been social. I had a wonderful time and look forward to Sunday," Ryan said looking directly into Jeremy's beautiful brown eyes. The two parted ways and after Jeremy closed the door and watched Ryan drive off from his window he collapsed onto his couch and smiled. After a few minutes he pulled out his phone and sent a text to Ryan.

**Jeremy: Sleep well big guy!**

He waited a few minutes before Ryan responded.

**Ryan: After tonight I think I will. :)**

**Jeremy: You gonna dream of me?** Jeremy paused before hitting send, not wanting the text to seem too upfront. He waited anxiously for a moment.

**Ryan: Only if you promise to dream of me. ;)**

Jeremy sighed in relief and and smiled. He typed out a response.

**Jeremy: Haha deal! Night Ry.**

**Ryan: Goodnight Jeremy.**

 

 

Part 4

 

Sunday came and Jeremy met Ryan at a nearby park. The two greeted each other warmly and started walking. Jeremy was surprised to find that Ryan knew many interesting facts about the plants and animals they saw, asking questions just to see Ryan's eyes light up as he explained his answers. It was adorable to him, seeing the older man so excited to share the random things he knew. He could get lost for hours just listening to the man's deep voice, a feat he was readily prepared for.

Ryan stopped suddenly beside him and reached an arm out to Jeremy's shoulder. The younger man stopped and looked quizzically at the older who had a delighted, almost child-like expression on his face and a finger raised to his lips. Jeremy raised an eyebrow and then looked to where Ryan pointed. There almost on the path they were on was a doe and her two fawns, grazing peacefully, no more than ten feet in front of the two men. Jeremy smiled and looked at Ryan happily.

"I've never seen them up close before," he whispered. Ryan smiled.

"It's like a scene out of one of those old fairy tale stories our parents would read to us when we were little," he said, watching the deer intently. Jeremy and Ryan continued to watch for a few more minutes before both slowly backed away and took a different route, not wanting to disturb the animals.

"That was fucking amazing! I wish I'd gotten a photo!" Jeremy exclaimed. Ryan smiled knowingly and pulled out his phone.

"I may have," he said. Jeremy couldn't help the smile that grew larger as he looked at the photo on Ryan's phone. Ryan was smiling up at the camera on the right side of the photo, while Jeremy was on the left, a smile and look of awe and wonder on his face with the family of deer in the background, one of the fawns looking straight at them. Jeremy laughed.

"This is perfect!" he said looking at Ryan. "Thank you. This has been an amazing afternoon." Ryan smiled and nodded as the two walked through the park towards where Ryan had parked, chatting about their work week ahead. When they reached Ryan's car Jeremy checked the time.

"It's only 2:30, do you feel like getting something to eat or doing something else?" he asked. Ryan thought for a moment and then nodded.

"I am pretty peckish," he agreed. Jeremy giggled.

"Tell me you didn't just say 'peckish'!" he laughed. Ryan raised an eyebrow but smiled and shrugged.

"I don't really understand or use all this modern lingo the kids be using nowadays," he said, causing Jeremy to laugh again.

"Ryan you're such a dork. Where do you wanna eat?" he asked. They both agreed on a small soda shop down the road and after deciding to walk were soon laughing over burgers and icecream. Both were so caught up with their conversation they didn't notice the blackened storm clouds rolling in until Jeremy shivered.

"It's so damn cold!" he exclaimed and rubbed his arms. Ryan nodded and glanced outside.

"Oh shit! We should probably head back! Those clouds don't look friendly," he said standing. Jeremy stood as well, glancing out the window at the nasty looking weather.

"Can we make it to the car?" he asked. Ryan bit his lip but nodded.

"I think so," he said. The two quickly paid for their food and rushed out the door, arriving at the park as the heavens rained down on them. Ryan scrambled to unlock the car and the two dove into their seats, nearly soaked.

"That wasn't fun!" exclaimed Jeremy and he wiped water off his arms. Neither man had brought a jacket seeing as how the news had said the weather would be warm and sunny.

"My place isn't too far we could hold up there until this rain stops," Jeremy suggested as Ryan started the car. Ryan smiled over at Jeremy and the two slowly made their way back to Jeremy's apartment. As soon as they made it inside Jeremy found two towels and threw one to Ryan as they both dried themselves.

"So, what're we gonna do until the rain stops?" Ryan asked. Jeremy thought for a moment.

"Well, I have video games and Netflix. We could play some games or watch a movie," he suggested. Ryan smiled and nodded, opting to play some video games first. He'd been dying to play with Jeremy ever since the young man had first told him he was a gamer, wanting to see exactly what he could do. After a couple rounds Jeremy was pleasantly surprised to find that he and Ryan were very closely matched in their skill levels and the two became an instant deadly team when they decided to login to online multiplayer, slaying their enemies left and right, causing havoc and laughing hysterically at the chaos they were causing.

"We're a regular pair of battle badasses!" Ryan said at the end of one round.

"Badass buds!" Jeremy agreed. The two looked at each other with mischief in their eyes.

"Battle Buddies!" they both exclaimed at once as the next round started. The two played for hours before deciding to watch a movie. Jeremy pulled up Netflix and told Ryan to pick something while he made popcorn. When he returned to the couch with the bowl he saw Ryan had selected an action comedy he'd never seen before. Plopping down beside his friend the two enjoyed the two hour movie, laughing at the funny parts (Ryan also laughing whenever the occasional jump scare would cause Jeremy to leap out of his skin) and watching in admiration at the explosions and gunfights. By the time the movie was over the rain had long since ceased and it was late. Ryan stretched and yawned as Jeremy checked the time.

"Shit it's almost 2 am!" he said, yawning himself.

"Time sure does fly when you're having a good time," Ryan said with a tired smile.

"Will you be okay to drive home?" Jeremy asked, suddenly concerned for the safety of the older man. Ryan smiled and nodded.

"It's not too long of a drive I'll be fine. I can text you when I get home," he said as he stood. Jeremy smiled gratefully and walked Ryan out to the door, opening it and watching as Ryan shuffled out to his car. He turned as he opened the drivers door and waved to Jeremy.

"I'll see you later Jer!" he called happily. Jeremy smiled and blushed at the name and waved back.

"Later Rye Bread!" he called as he watched Ryan drive away into the night. Jeremy walked back up to his apartment and collapsed on his couch, his heart happy. These last couple of days with Ryan were the best days he'd ever had in his entire life! The guy just seemed to understand him so well and they clicked together perfectly, as if they'd known each other for a lifetime. Jeremy smiled.

 _We should officially date!_ he thought. He knew one of them eventually would have to ask the other about whether or not they were dating someone, but Jeremy was terrified to know the answer.

 _A good looking guy like Ryan? Surely someone is dating him. How could they not? He's perfect!_ he thought. His thought process left him slightly depressed but just then his phone vibrated and he smiled as Ryan's message popped up.

**Ryan: Made it home with barely a scratch. Safe and sound now, time to hit the hay before I pass out on my floor. I had a great time this weekend with you Jeremy, thank you again.**

Jeremy couldn't help smiling, a thing he found himself doing more and more since he'd met Ryan. He typed out his reply and then went to his room to change for bed.

**Jeremy: I've had a great weekend too thanks to you! I'm glad you're home safe, we should do this more often.**

When he walked back to the living room to retrieve his phone he saw Ryan had replied.

**Ryan: Agreed! Let's plan on hanging out again sometime next werk?**

Jeremy giggled at the typo and sent his reply laughing to himself at how adorable Ryan was.

**Jeremy: Werk huh? Is that some strange form of dating system some ancient civilization came up with? ;)**

**Ryan: Week! Fuck my mouth!**

**Jeremy: Ryan please, take a guy out for dinner first before the blowjobs! Lol**

**Ryan: As I sent that I realized how it must've sounded. Also I'd like to point out that I have in fact taken you out for dinner before. :)**

**Jeremy: Shit you're right! Well I'll let this flub of yours slide if you promise to forgive my forgetfulness?**

**Ryan: Deal! Haha goodnight Jer. See you soon!**

**Jeremy: Night Ry, sleep well!**

Jeremy smiled as he fell asleep, thoughts of Ryan filling his dreams as he slept through the night. The next morning was a stream day for Jeremy and he went to work still thinking about Ryan. He saw many of his audience members commenting on how he had a slight glow to him and how he smiled more. The comments made him blush and he made up an excuse. The internet didn't need to know whether or not he was with someone yet, especially if he and Ryan hadn't technically officially dated or asked each other to be the other ones boyfriend. After finishing his stream he sat back and began editing the highlights of the stream to post to his YouTube channel. He checked his phone and saw that Ryan had texted him.

**Ryan: So I had a question about the next time we hang out?**

**Jeremy: Lay it on me big guy.**

**Ryan: What are your feelings about harnesses?**

Jeremy paused and looked at the message in bewilderment. Surely Ryan didn't mean anything sensual behind the question...right? Thinking he'd play it safe Jeremy typed out his reply.

**Jeremy: Never used one but I'm always willing to try new things.**

**Ryan: Stupendous! I have a great idea for what we should do! I'm super excited for you to try it out!**

Jeremy was still confused but managed to laugh at Ryan's enthusiasm as he thought about what to say next.

**Jeremy: Just tell me when and I'll be ready.**

**Ryan: I can pick you up.**

By now Jeremy was really confused. What the hell was Ryan planning?! He shrugged it off and told Ryan that would be fine with him and he went back to work, wondering what the fuck the man had planned for them.

~~~

"You know, when you asked me about harnesses, this wasn't exactly what I thought you meant," Jeremy said laughing as he and Ryan pulled up to the building. Ryan had been so excited when he picked up Jeremy who'd been slightly wary the whole drive. It wasn't that the thought of Ryan fucking him wasn't appealing, far from it! It was more like curiosity as to the drive and why Ryan would ask such a thing without them really discussing if they had feelings for each other. Ryan looked over at Jeremy as he unbuckled his seatbelt and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" he asked, a slight tinge of nervousness in his voice. Jeremy smiled and shook his head.

"I'll tell you later buddy," he said as the two got out of the car and he looked at the sign on the building.

**Ramsey's Zipline and Skydive Simulator Facility**

"How'd you even find a place like this?" Jeremy asked as they walked into the building.

"The owner Geoff and I have been good friends for years. His family has been good to me, basically making me an honorary member. He told me anytime I want to use this place I have free reign," Ryan explained as he walked to the front desk and smiled at the tattooed woman behind the desk.

"Ryan! How good of you to show your face! How've you been?" the woman asked as she ran around the counter and gave Ryan a hug which he returned happily.

"Hello Griffon, it's been awhile hasn't it? How're the kids and Geoff?" he asked. Griffon frowned slightly.

"That question is redundant," she said then the two laughed.

"Kids, come here real quick we have some special guests!" Griffon called. A few seconds later a young girl maybe ten or eleven years old and a young man about Jeremy's age came running out of another room, the girl holding an Xbox controller. The two's eyes lit up at the sight of Ryan and they rushed at him, the girl leaping into his arms and the young man smiling and patting Ryan on the back.

"Uncle Ryan! I've missed you!" the girl cheered happily.

"I've missed you too kiddo. Been keeping your brother in line?" Ryan asked winking at her. The girl giggled and nodded.

"I kicked his butt at halo earlier!" she exclaimed, earning a bird-like sound from the young man.

"Oi! We both agreed that rocket launchers were bloody well illegal to use!" he exclaimed, Jeremy noting his British accent.

"That's the problem and why you never win Gavee, you play by the rules," the girl smiled evilly, causing everyone to laugh.

"What's all this ruckus I hear?" came a slightly annoyed voice and the group turned. Jeremy saw a man slightly shorter than Ryan with dark brown hair, a large beard and goatee, and also heavily tattooed standing in the doorway. As soon as he caught sight of Ryan he smiled.

"Well if it isn't Ryan fucking Haywood! How you been buddy?" he asked and walked forward to join the group.

"Hey Geoff! I've been good, actually really good lately!" Ryan said smiling at the man.

Jeremy watched as Ryan interacted with the family, shuffling his own feet awkwardly and feeling a little left out.

 _He's so happy! He wasn't kidding when he said these people were like family to him._ he thought. He jumped in surprise when he felt a small hand grasp his and he looked down to see the little girl looking up at him.

"Hi what's your name?" she asked cheerfully. Jeremy looked up to see now that everyone was staring at him, Ryan with a huge smile on his face that Jeremy couldn't help reflecting. He looked back down at her.

"I'm Jeremy, Jeremy Dooley. I'm a friend of Ryan's," he said with the smile still on his face. The girl looked at him with awe and surprise and Jeremy heard Geoff gasp slightly.

"THE Jeremy Dooley?! As in Mr. JDoolz himself?" both Geoff and his daughter said at the same time while Gavin made another bird noise. Jeremy smiled and blushed slightly.

"The same," he said. Geoff turned and punched Ryan in the shoulder.

"Ow! What was that for?" Ryan exclaimed rubbing his shoulder. Geoff just smiled.

"You didn't tell us you were friends with a fucking legend Haywood! Jeremy here is an amazing gamer! We watch his streams all the time!" Geoff explained. Jeremy rubbed his neck.

"I'm so sorry for you," he joked and the group laughed. The young girl pulled Jeremy towards the group and smiled up at him.

"Your streams inspired me to start gaming!" she exclaimed and her parents nodded. Jeremy was touched. He'd received messages on various social media platforms from fans saying things like this, but never until today had a fan told him in person. Let alone someone so young!

"Well it's fans like you that make my job worth doing! Thank you so very much," he said smiling at her. She blushed and then darted back to the other room pulling Gavin behind her.

"So what brings you to our humble abode?" Geoff asked.

"I was kind of hoping we could use the Zipline and maybe the simulator for the afternoon?" Ryan asked hopefully. Geoff looked between him and Jeremy, scratching his chin and thinking.

"Well I have a pretty booked day, not sure if I can squeeze you two in," he said trying not to smile. Jeremy felt crushed, not so much that they couldn't use the equipment, but more at the thought that Ryan had been looking forward to this day and this time they'd get to spend together for so very long.

"The whiskey and Jack are in the backseat of my car you pirate," he said with a smile and a wink as he tossed Geoff the keys to his car. Geoff made a happy noise and smiled.

"Looks like the afternoon just opened wide up!" he said and the others laughed. Ryan smiled down at Jeremy.

"I can't wait for you to try this place out!" he said and the two followed Griffon as she led them to an elevator.

 

~~~

 

"Is it too late to mention I'm afraid of heights?" Jeremy asked nervously. He and Ryan were standing at the top of a very long, very steep looking Zipline outside the building, already strapped into their harnesses. Ryan looked nervously at Jeremy and then at the line.

"I didn't know. We don't have to if you don't want to," Ryan said sounding slightly disappointed but more concerned for Jeremy. The younger man looked again out at the vast expanse between him and the ground. It was pretty high up. He looked again at Ryan who was waiting patiently next to Griffon for a decision. Jeremy swallowed as he chose his fate.

"No, I can do this! We've been looking forward to this for awhile now," he said with resolve. Ryan gave him a look like he was Prince Charming.

"If you like I can go first so I'll be down there at the end to meet you," he offered. Jeremy nodded and gave Ryan a look that communicated his gratitude. Ryan nodded to Griffon who hooked his harness up to the line and then gave some basic instructions, Jeremy suspecting it was more for his benefit than Ryan's as the man had probably been here dozens of times. Ryan gave a last smile and salute to Jeremy before he pushed off the platform, his laughter fading into the distance as he grew farther and farther away.

"So how long is this thing anyway?" Jeremy asked.

"It's pretty long, it ends around that bend behind those trees. Gives the rider a bit of a view of the area. There's a buzzer on the other platform that when he's done he'll hit it and this green light will light up," Griffon explained and pointed to a light behind her. After a couple minutes the green light flashed and Griffon looked to Jeremy.

"You ready?" she asked. Jeremy took a deep breath and then nodded. Griffon helped him hook up to the line explaining the same safety tips and basic rules as she did, Jeremy taking careful note. The two walked towards the end of the platform and with a final thumbs up from Jeremy Griffon gave him a good shove off to give him momentum and he soured out into the air. Needless to say his laughter was more like strained screaming as he zipped through the air. After a couple seconds though he saw that he wasn't plummeting to his death and actually found the experience enjoyable, though he was still a little nervous. Griffon had been right, the scenery was beautiful, the sky a perfect clear blue, a lake nearby reflecting it like crystal, tall majestic pine trees surrounding the property, bird's singing filling the air. Jeremy couldn't help but smile as he looked around at the beauty surrounding him.

After a few minutes he spied the other platform approaching and saw Ryan standing there waiting for him. He smiled as his brakes kicked in and he began to slow until he pulled to a stop beside the older man who had a look of pride and excitement in his eyes.

"You did it!" he cheered as he helped Jeremy disconnect his harness. Jeremy was about to reply but as his feet hit the platform they gave out, he assumed cause he was still used to being suspended in the air, and he crashed headlong into Ryan and the two men collapsed to the floor of the platform, Jeremy landing on top of Ryan. The two stared at each other for a minute before both started laughing.

"I never thought I'd ever do something like that! Thank you Ryan," Jeremy said and smiled at Ryan.

"I'm proud of you Jer! It takes courage to do what you just did," Ryan laughed and smiled back. Both their eyes widened suddenly when they realized they were still lying on top of each other, their faces only a few inches apart. Jeremy gazed into Ryan's perfect blue eyes and found his heart had started beating faster. Ryan felt himself growing red and realized that when Jeremy had fallen on him he'd reached up to try an support him before they fell, his hands still around the shorter man's waist. The two stayed there for several moments just looking at each other.

"I..uh..I guess we should probably let Griffon know we're alive huh?" Ryan stuttered clearing his throat. Jeremy nodded, unable to speak as he rolled off Ryan and the two helped each other up.

"Don't worry boys, I can hear your hearts beating from down here,"

The two men jumped at the voice and Ryan looked over the edge to see Griffon smiling up at them from the jeep she was in.

"Griffon! How long have you been down there?" Ryan called.

"Oh, long enough," Griffon smiled back. Ryan chuckled and shook his head. He looked back at Jeremy and smiled.

"Come on, don't wanna keep the lady waiting," he said and the two laughed, walking down the stairs built into the platform. As they walked Ryan slowly and cautiously snuck his hand into Jeremy's. Jeremy looked up at Ryan surprised but smiled and interlocked their fingers.

"Thank you for this Rye Bread," Jeremy whispered and leaned his head against Ryan's shoulder.

"Anything for my Jer," Ryan whispered back.

 

 

Part 5

 

It had been a couple months since the Zipline incident occurred, Ryan and Jeremy spending as much time with each other as they could, having picnics, taking walks in the park, spending long nights playing video games or watching movies while cuddling on the couch. Neither had ever gotten around to asking if the other was dating someone else, both figuring with the way they acted around each other that they had nothing to worry about. Every day they grew closer and closer, regretting the time when they'd have to part ways. Jeremy eventually visited Ryan at his place, surprised to see it was just a nice simple house near the park, with lots of bookshelves filled to the brim, a nice in ground pool and deck, and an amazing kitchen and entertainment center. One day Jeremy drove to the dentist office, nearly bursting at the seams to see Ryan again. He sat in the waiting room bursting with excitement.

That is until he noticed that Ashley had tears in her eyes. He had a bad feeling as he walked up to the counter.

"Hey Ash, you okay?" he asked. The two had become friends over the time he'd been coming here, the two even friending each other on Xbox live and playing games once in awhile, Ashley becoming a regular viewer of his content. Ashley looked up at him and nearly lost what little composure she was holding onto.

"Oh Jeremy, it's awful!" she choked out before dashing away. Jeremy had a sinking feeling in his stomach as he sat back down, Mica calling his name a few minutes later. He noticed she was sniffling too.

"Um, I..um Dr. Burns will be in to see you shortly," Mica stammered before choking up and also dashing away. Now Jeremy was confused and a little scared.

 _Dr. Burns? Where's Ryan? And why is everyone acting all weird?_ he thought. The next few minutes alone were torture as Jeremy's mind ran wild. Finally Dr. Burnie Burns walked in, his eyes bloodshot. Jeremy sat up and spun around to face Burnie.

"Burnie, what the hell is going on? Why's everyone crying? Where's Ryan?" he asked growing more and more worried. Burnie grew very quiet as he tried to think of what to tell Jeremy, calming his breathing.

"Jeremy, I'm afraid I have some bad news," Burnie said and put a hand comfortingly on Jeremy shoulder. Jeremy felt his blood rush from his face and he swallowed hard.

"There was an incident last night. Ryan was at a jewelry store and I guess some bastard decided to rob the place at that time. Ryan tried to help. He was stabbed Jeremy," Burnie choked out. Jeremy felt his breath leave him, a heavy weight on his chest. He felt like he was going to be sick.

"Is he..." he couldn't bring himself to finish his question. Burnie shook his head.

"No no! He'd still alive, but he's not in good shape. The doctors are doing everything they can to help him," Burnie said reassuringly. Jeremy felt slightly better.

"Can..can he have visitors?" he asked timidly, not trying to keep his voice from shaking. Burnie smiled sadly and nodded. He scribbled down the hospital Ryan had been taken to and his room number. Burnie decided to reschedule Jeremy's appointment, knowing how much he wanted to see Ryan. Jeremy gave Burnie a thankful look and dashed out the door and sped all the way to the hospital. Finding the right room he slowly walked in, hoping he wasn't too late. Ryan lay on the bed, eyes closed with a breathing mask over his face. Jeremy's heart caught in his throat until he noticed the heart monitor was still operating with a steady pulse. He sighed and sat next to Ryan's bed, covering his face in his hands.

"Why did you have to be such a fucking hero Ryan?" he croaked out. "Why were you even at a damn jewelry store in the first place?"

As Jeremy sat there looking at the man he'd grown to love he felt his world collapsing in on itself. He couldn't imagine life without the tall handsome man and his charming smile, warm friendly laugh, his safe warm embrace. He couldn't live without his Rye Bread. Slowly he reached out and grasped Ryan's hand in his, holding it gently, but as if it were the last time he'd ever see the man.

"Come back to me, please. I had so many more secrets to tell you," he said, feeling tears well up in his eyes. He laid his head down on Ryan's bed and cried until the nurse came and told him visiting hours were over but he could come back tomorrow. For six days Jeremy visited Ryan, bringing him flowers and get well cards, always talking to him as if he could hear him. His stream audience noticed he wasn't quiet himself and sent him well wishes saying whatever was going on they hoped it worked out and they'd be keeping him in their thoughts. One day while Jeremy was there talking to Ryan the Ramsey's showed up, the adults all softly crying while Geoff's daughter asked her uncle to please get better soon. On the sixth day Jeremy had fallen asleep next to Ryan's bed, his hand holding the older man's. He dreamed that he and Ryan were walking in the park again, seeing the deer and enjoying the still and quiet. A soft stirring woke him and he looked up to see Ryan watching him, a pained but happy smile on his face.

"Ryan?" Jeremy exclaimed happily, feeling tears well up in his eyes again. Ryan squeezed his hand and smiled.

"Hey Jer," he said. Jeremy laughed with joy and gently gave Ryan a hug.

"I've missed you! I've been so worried!" Jeremy said brushing Ryan's hair away from his face.

"You could say that robber really made his point," Ryan said weakly and winked.

"Ryan Haywood!" Jeremy exclaimed but couldn't help but laugh. Ryan smiled.

"There it is!" he said happily. Jeremy raised an eyebrow.

"There what is?" he asked.

"That happy laugh of yours I love to hear," Ryan said. Jeremy blushed and smiled.

"Just promise me no more heroics for now batman," he said with a chuckle. Ryan giggled and flinched but smiled anyways.

"I think I've retired from the hero business," he said and the two laughed.

Ryan slowly recovered, taking several weeks before he could leave the hospital and still several weeks after that to return to work. Jeremy took care of him the whole time, feeding him, running him around on errands, making sure he took his meds. Eventually Jeremy returned to the dentist office, his smile renewed and the feeling of walking on air deep within his heart. His friends at the office had all started smiling again too, making him happy to see them back to their old selves. His name was called and he wakes back to his room, waiting through Mica's general inspection of his teeth before Ryan showed up.

"There's my favorite patient!" Ryan said cheerfully with a smile and he and Jeremy hugged each other, giving Mica a wink. She returned the wink and quietly left the room, smiling broadly.

"You been taking your painkillers?" Jeremy asked quickly. Ryan rolled his eyes but nodded.

"Good. You only have to take them for a couple more weeks so no complaining big guy," Jeremy scolded with a smile. Ryan laughed and then pulled out a square package wrapped in colorful paper and handed it to Jeremy. Jeremy raised an eyebrow as he took the gift.

"It's not my birthday buddy," he said hesitantly. Ryan just continued to smile, anticipation nearly overflowing his heart.

"Just open it!" he said excitedly. Jeremy smiled and did so. As the paper fell away he gasped and smiled, then laughed at the message. The object in his hand was a picture frame, the picture of them at the park that day so long ago with the doe and fawns in the background held in the frame. The message scrawled in neat handwriting on a paper attached to the frame read: To my DEERest friend. Jeremy smiled and looked up at Ryan.

"Deerest?" he asked and winked.

"I know I know, shitty pun. But I thought it was cute," Ryan said. Jeremy laughed.

"It's perfect!" he said. Ryan looked so happy it warmed Jeremy.

Their appointment went normally just like it used to. Ryan commenting once more at how perfect Jeremy's teeth were and Jeremy blushing. Finally Jeremy asked his favorite traditional question.

"So, got any secrets for me?"

Ryan smiled and pretended to think, then snapped his fingers.

"I've got the biggest secret I've ever had. Can I trust you with it?" he asked smiling. Jeremy chuckled and winked.

"Your secrets safe with me big guy," he said.

"Okay, but for this secret I need you to close your eyes," Ryan was nearly shaking with excitement. Jeremy raised an eyebrow but smiled and nodded, squeezing his eyes closed. There was a moment of silence before he felt Ryan's breath on his ear as he whispered his biggest secret into the man's ear.

"I've fallen in love," he said. Jeremy smiled and Ryan told him to open his eyes. He did so and gasped, tears filling his eyes. Ryan was down on one knee beside his chair the biggest smile Jeremy had ever seen on his face, hands holding a small black box with a golden ring resting in the velvet foam. He looked up at Ryan and threw his arms around the man in a big hug.

"I've always been yours, I've known it from the first day!" he said happily. Ryan hugged him back and then put the ring on Jeremy's finger.

"I love you Jer," he said, tears in his own eyes.

"I love you more Rye Bread!" Jeremy said and the two embraced once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading this fic! It's by far the longest one shot I've ever written. Please let me know how you like it and be sure to leave suggestions for future fics.


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